“For what?”
“For anything I said last time that had you storming out.”
“You’re not really sorry,” Wayla said, narrowing her eyes.“You’re just saying that to placate me.Well, don’t bo—”
Jarred gave in to the urge that had been pounding in his veins since the moment she stumbled out of her room this morning looking cranky, soft, and mussed up.He yanked her into his chest, wrapped his other hand around her neck, and kissed her breath away.
Wayla’s hands flew up and her nails dug into his forearms, but she wasn’t raking him, just holding on, a stunned look in her eyes.
“If you want me to stop, you’d better shield,” he murmured against her lips.
She made some unintelligible sound and clung to him.Jarred softened his hold and teased her tongue with his own.When she relaxed and leaned into him, he nibbled her lips, pulling a soft sigh from her.
Eventually, he pulled back and looked into her slightly glazed eyes.“I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” he said earnestly.“I worded things poorly.”
“Wh-what did you mean then?”
“I meant that none of us had a claim on you.That you are free to date whoever you want.”
Wayla blinked rapidly.“That’s all.”
Jarred wondered if he should leave it at that, but decided to lay it all out there.“I wouldn’t be upset if you dated several someone’s, as long as I was one of them.”
“You… you want to date me?”Wayla was shaking her head.
“Yes,” Jarred replied.“Although I have to be honest and say that if you fancied, let’s say Irishen, then I’d be out.I couldn’t share you with someone whom I don’t respect and trust.”
“I don’t date!”Wayla screeched, and she would have torn herself away if Jarred hadn’t swept her up from her feet again.
“What do you do then, Wayla?Fool around?Have hook-ups?A line of fuckbuddies?”Jarred gritted his teeth.“You deserve better than that.”
She had been ready to tear into him before those last words.As he uttered them, she fell limp and shook.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t… I can’t…” She muttered dejectedly.“Please, put me down.”
Jarred shook his own head and instead sat on the floor with her still on his lap.He cradled her in his arms, the urge to pound anyone who had hurt her into pulp roaring in his veins.
“I’m not dating you.”
“Fine.Let’s call it something else then.”Jarred kissed the top of her head.“Friends with benefits doesn’t quite fit.Hook up is too casual for me to use it to drive away someone throwing themselves at me.”Wayla stiffened in his arms, and Jarred leaned back enough to see her face before smiling.“What?You think I don’t get offers basically on a daily basis?”
“Hmph.”
“See.You don’t like that open-endedness either.Fuckbuddies sounds so juvenile, I don’t think I can call you that with a straight face either.”
“Jarred,” Wayla moaned, a bit of heat rising to her cheeks.
“Shh, let me think,” he shushed her.“Where was I?Oh, right, no fuckbuddies.How about me being your little toy, hmm?Will that keep your pretty head from exploding?”
“What?”She looked shocked and, if Jarred wasn’t completely wrong, a bit turned on.
“Your toy, Wayla.Not boy-toy, that’s almost as off-putting as fuckbuddies, but your toy.”He narrowed his eyes, and then it hit him.“No.Not a toy.Pet.You want a pet.”
When Wayla’s eyes flashed and her cheeks flamed red, Jarred roared out laughter that came up from deep in his belly.Oh, his preciousreallywanted a pet.Well, he could play that part.
